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Sunday, September 30, 2012

After getting nailed in Florida last week for attempting to register only Republican voters while originally telling possible registrants that they were doing surveys, we now have a teenaged girl on video in another state pulling similar stunts.

The Republican Party can’t even hire people smart enough to get votes without getting nailed.

On September 28th, a shopper at a Safeway in Colorado Springs, Colorado used her cell phone to videotape a teenage girl cheerfully admitting to voter registration fraud in favor of (surprise!) GOP not-particularly-presidential candidate Mitt Romney. The teenager claimed that she was registering voters for the El Paso County Clerk’s office, and finally let slip, “Well, I’m actually trying to register people for a particular party. Because, we’re out here in support of Romney, actually.” The Safeway shopper rightfully felt suspicious, and posted the video to You Tube.

Teenage Girl: Would you vote for Romney or Obama? Safeway Shopper: I thought you were registering voters a minute ago. Teenage Girl: [puzzled] Um … I am. Safeway Shopper: [suspiciously] All voters? Teenage Girl: [perkily] Well, I’m actually trying to register people for a particular party. Because, we’re out here in support of Romney, actually. Safeway Shopper: And who’s paying you for this? Teenage Girl: [cagily] Oh, um, the … let’s see … we’re working for the County Clerk’s office. Safeway Shopper: [vehemently] OK, you cannot come here and register one party, lady. Are you working for the County Clerk’s office? I’ve got it all on tape. Teenage Girl: [holds out hand to hide her face] Safeway Shopper: [raises voice] You’re working for the County Clerk’s Office? Teenage Girl: I believe so, yes. Safeway Shopper: [increasingly outraged] And you’re only registering Republicans? Teenage Girl: [brightly] Nope. Safeway Shopper: You said you were only registering Romney people. Teenage Girl: [smugly] Well, we’re trying to…to be honest. Safeway Shopper: [almost shouting] And you’re working for the COUNTY’s OFFICE? What’s your name? Teenage Girl: [with a baffled smile and eyes goggling in disbelief] Ma’am, my name is ___________. Safeway Shopper: That’s all I need, honey bunch.

Redditor Internet Detectives are on the case trying to ID the young lady

Further investigation by Denver, Colorado-based KTVU/Fox31 TV Political Reporter Eli Stokols revealed that the teenager was actually employed by the Strategic Allied Consulting group, which had been hired by the Colorado Republican Party to increase GOP voter turn-out. The firm was subsequently fired following distribution of the video (see September 28th’s “Colo. girl registering ‘only Romney’ voters tied to firm dumped by RNC over fraud“).

If the firm’s name sounds familiar, that’s because Strategic Allied Consulting was also recently dropped by the Republican National Committee and the Florida Republican Party amidst news headlines and allegations of voter fraud in 10 Florida state counties. According to Phillip Elliot’s September 28th article in the Florida Times Union, 108 questionable new voter registrations were red-flagged in Palm Beach County, FL alone. As followers of the 2000 presidential election may recall, disputed ballots from Palm Beach County played a crucial role in the Supreme Court’s decision to appoint George W. Bush … um … rule in favor of a George W. Bush victory. (Fun fact: The Bush v. Gore SCOTUS decision was clarified by the justices to be non-precedent-setting. Normally a SCOTUS decision sets a precedent for lower courts to cite and / or examine when they are dealing with future similar legal disputes. Bush v. Gore has been designated as a stand-alone unique decision.)

The Virginia-based firm is run by Nathan Sproul, who also owns the Lincoln Strategy Group … which, coincidentally, has also been involved in widely-reported voter fraud scandals. According to the Los Angeles Times, the RNC requested that Sproul create the newly-minted Strategic Allied Consulting company to avoid the negative publicity associated with Sproul’s older firm. To date, the Florida Republican Party has paid Sproul $1.3 million, and the Colorado Republican Party has shoveled out more than $500,000. Before cutting ties, the RNC had also retained Strategic Allied Consulting to handle voter registration drives in Virginia, North Carolina, and Nevada, in addition to get-out-the-vote drives in Wisconsin and Ohio.